And we need to be thankful for that. These are Durant and James numbers so far this season.
Kevin Durant | Head-to-Head | LeBron James |
31.3 | PPG | 26.0 |
5.2 | APG | 6.5 |
7.8 | RPG | 6.9 |
51% | FG% | 57.9% |
31.1 | PER | 28.3 |
(Bold numbers denotes career high)
Looking at the stats, there is no question as to whose year it has been thus far halfway through the NBA season. Durant has career highs in points, assists, tied for his best FG% and by far his best PER rating, at 31.1[2]. He upped his defensive intensity, averaging a combined 2.4 steals and blocks per game. And he is doing it without Westbrook. Durant has simply been on a tear, currently riding a hot streak of 12-straight games with 30 or more points (Passing Michael Jordan in the process).
And last night, KD finally got LeBron again. It had been a while (the ’11-’12 NBA Finals was the last time the Thunder beat the Heat in a basketball game) and the elation KD’s face showed afterwards made it seem like Oklahoma City put their exclamation point on that statement they have been making throughout Durant's hot streak beating teams like Portland, Golden State, Houston, San Antonio and now Miami. Durant is working very hard to knock the “second fiddle” label, and step out of LeBron’s enormous shadow as LeBron’s equal[3], and by all accounts, he has done it this year.As I watched the game last night, and more so KD splashing home deep three after deep three in LeBron’s face, the thought that this man could quite possibly be a better basketball player than James went through my head. Something that I did not think was really possible. But his size and length, and touch, and overall really-coolness make it seem possible and it’s really cool for basketball fans.
The other thing that is really cool was after watching LeBron’s postgame interview; I got the sense the large amount of KD Love genuinely annoyed him. Not so much in a personal attack of KD, because it is known all to well that theses guys like each other and work out and whatever all that bullshit amounts to in the large scheme of things. It is more so the fact that LeBron received a lot of hate for never winning a title, and was relentlessly reminded of his shortcomings as a professional leading to him basically being left out of the “best in the game” discussion until he got his ring. KD, on the other hand, has received little to no criticism because he is a little less arrogant[4], and did not back stabbed an entire city/state, people give him the nod simply because he is likable, awesome and not named LeBron.
And hopefully come June (with a couple of healthy Robin’s: Russ and DWade), we can see these two heavy weights square off for all the marbles again. This time with KD in his prime, and LeBron at the top of his reign.
We are spoiled sports fans, and the game last night was just a little tease.
-Andrew
[1]I’m happy to report the East has somewhat turned it around against the West. If you take out the records of the 4 tankers in the East (Bucks, Celtics, 76ers, and Magic), the East has actually gone 73-103, which is .414. Which is right on par with where the East usually sits against the West. If you do add in the Tankers, then the West is walloping the East 163-85.
[2]LeBron’s PER last year in his absurd fourth MVP campaign was 31.6. So not to far in front of Durant.
[3] Or in my opinion 1B to LeBron’s 1A.
[4]Okay maybe a lot less.
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